Separated
by sugarmonkey778
Summary: They fought everything to be together and finally had it all. But when Ino goes missing Sasuke will risk it all to find her. Sequel to Together.
1. Simple Life

_Hey guys I'm baaack with the sequel to Together. Please please enjoy this!_

The corridor was dark and silent as he crept along pressed against the wall. His heart pounded loudly in his ears and he took a deep breath to steady his nerves. "I can't chicken out now!" he thought. He glanced back the way he'd come from then continued onward.

As he neared the end of the hall faint voices floated up to him. He crouched low and carefully moved forward minding every step. After what seemed like ages he reached the staircase. He could see the flickering of a flame and the voices were louder.

Closing his eyes he leaned as close as he dared and concentrated on the voices. There were unmistakably two people speaking calmly to each other in soft tones. He opened his eyes and looked back at the flickering light coming from below. With one more steadying breath he placed his foot down on the first step. As he cautiously put his weight on the step he held his breath in anticipation. When he was confident there would be no squeak he slowly made his way down the rest of the stairs.

When he was on the last step he looked back to where the light was flickering and saw two figures silhouetted. He stepped off the stairs silently and began walking towards the door.

"Get back in bed, Haro" Ino called from the couch. The young boy stopped and turned back towards the living room. He frowned and shuffled over to the back of the couch. Sasuke and Ino turned their head to look at their son.

"How'd you know I was downstairs?" Haro asked. This earned him a grin from his mother.

"Because I'm your mother, and I always know where you are" she replied. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. Sasuke smiled and lifted his arm off her shoulders to pat the child on the head.

"Nice try, kiddo" he said. Haro grumbled and whacked his father's hand away causing the man to laugh. "I think you need some more training." Suddenly Ino smacked Sasuke upside the head.

"Don't say that to him! He's eight years old, do you want him to turn into you?" she asked angrily. Sasuke just shook his head. She turned back to her son. "Just go back to bed, Haro."

"Fine. But one day I'll be able to get past you without you even knowing!" he declared grandly then turned and walked back up the stairs.

"Are you sure he's not Naruto's kid?" Sasuke joked. Ino punched him in the arm and he laughed.

Early in the morning, before the dawn almost everyone in the Uchiha house was asleep. Ino rolled on her side, away from the warmth radiating from her husband. As she readjusted her pillow she felt a tiny, gentle tap on her arm. She opened her eyes and found herself starring into a mirror. Then she realized they were her daughter's bright blue eyes gazing up at her.

"Mama" the little girl said quietly. Ino could hear the fear in that small voice and it caused her pain.

"Come here baby" she said pulling the girl into the bed with her. She wrapped her arms around the child and Mikoto snuggled into the embrace. Almost immediately she fell asleep and Ino relaxed. Beside her Sasuke stirred then rolled over.

"Miki have another nightmare?" he asked groggily.

"Yes" Ino replied. Sasuke rolled back over and fell back asleep. She sighed and caressed her daughter's dark hair. Finally she closed her eyes and tried to get back to sleep.

Later Ino woke up alone in the bed. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, then set her feet on the ground and stood up. "Still not used to living in such a big house" she thought as she walked down the hall towards the stairs.

Before Mikoto was born Sasuke and Ino realized they would need a bigger house for their growing family and after nearly two years of saving they were able to afford an estate near what was once the Uchiha compound. It was painful for Sasuke but he wanted his children to grow up around their heritage.

Ino the kitchen Ino found her family sitting at the table getting ready for breakfast. Sasuke smiled at his wife.

"I was just about to send them to wake you" he explained.

"Are you sure you weren't about to eat without me?" she inquired with a grin.

"Wouldn't dream of it, dear" he replied.

"I told him we couldn't start until you got here!" Haro exclaimed. Sasuke threw a piece of toast at the boy who caught it with little effort then took a bite out of the corner. Ino rolled her eyes and Mikoto giggled.

"All right, enough silliness," Ino instructed as she sat in her chair. "Let's eat!"


	2. The Start

_Wanted a quick update due to the shortness of that first chapter. So here it is ... CHAPTER TWO. Please review!_

Ino was content as she walked down the street with her children. She greeted other villagers as they passed then continued on her way. Mikoto clung to her mother's hand while Haro marched along beside them chatting about his classmates.

"… and then she hit me for no reason!" He said dramatically. Ino smiled down at the boy.

"That means she likes you" she explained. Haro's eyes grew wide.

"What?! That's weird. Why would she hit me if she liked me?" he demanded.

"That's just how girls are when they don't know how to tell a boy they like him" she told him. Haro wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"Girls are weird" he said in a decided tone causing Ino to chuckle.

"One day you'll like girls" she promised.

"No way, they get in the way of training." Haro shook his head and walked on ahead of his mother and sister.

"So much like his father" Ino murmured to herself. Soon they arrived at the academy and she let go of Mikoto's hand to hug Haro goodbye. "Have a good day, sweetie!" she called as he ran off to the door. "I love you!" She looked down at her daughter and smiled. "Shall we go to the shop, Miki?" she asked. The little girl held her arms up and Ino lifted her. "Yeah, let's go."

They arrived at the flower shop and Ino opened up. Mikoto ran over to the cupboard and grabbed the broom. She began furiously sweeping back and forth, spreading the dirt out. Ino just smiled and put her apron on.

The day was slow bringing only a few customers. At lunch time she closed up and took her daughter to get lunch with her old teammates. It was a tradition of theirs to go get barbecue for lunch once a week. On the way they passed Ichiraku and she stopped to greet Naruto.

"Hey Naruto, how's Hokage training going?" Ino asked giving the other blonde a pat on the shoulder.

"Oh, it's so annoying. All I'm doing is paperwork! It's all an evil plan from Tsunade to get me to do her work so she can go and gamble all day!" he complained.

"I hate to break it to you but I think most of the job is paperwork" she explained. This brought out a groan from the man and she laughed. "Good luck."

"Hey, have you two eaten yet?" he asked.

"We're on our way to get barbecue with Shikamaru and Choji" Ino replied. Naruto frowned then knelt down in front of Mikoto.

"Now wouldn't you rather have some ramen with Uncle Naruto?" he asked.

"No!" She giggled and shook her head. Naruto sighed and stood back up.

"Man, I don't know what you're teaching those kids!"

"Well when yours is born you two can eat ramen together all the time" Ino said. "How's Hinata doing anyway?"

"She's been strangely grumpy lately. It's not like Hinata to be anything but happy" he explained.

"Well she is eight months pregnant, Naruto. It's not exactly a walk in the park" Ino replied.

"Yeah, at least she's not as bad as you…" His words faded off when he saw the glare she was giving him. "So enjoy your lunch" he finished calmly. Ino nodded and she and Mikoto continued on their way.

When they arrived at the restaurant Ino could hear Choji complaining from the doorway. The girls made their way over to the table where Shikamaru and Choji were sitting.

"Sorry we're late, guys" Ino greeted. She helped Mikoto slide into the booth then sat down beside her.

"Yes now we can eat, Choji" Shikamaru said when Choji opened his mouth. Ino raised an accusing eyebrow at her chubby teammate.

"What? I waited didn't I?" he said. She rolled her eyes and smiled. They ordered their food and began chatting.

"I heard Haro is ranked top in his class" said Shikamaru. "You must be very proud."

"Yeah I am. But…" Ino began.

"What?" he asked.

"I'm worried about him. He's an awful lot like his father was. What if he…" she trailed off not wanting to acknowledge the possibilities.

"Ino you're forgetting that he has something Sasuke didn't for most of his life. You" Shikamaru explained. "I know you won't let him go down that path, and neither will his father." She nodded but did not feel fully comforted. Mikoto, sensing her mother's distress, scooted over and hugged her.

"Thanks, Miki" she said hugging the child back. They finished lunch and went their separate ways. Ino and Mikoto headed back to the flower shop. As she was unlocking a messenger approached her.

"Miss Yamanaka?" he said politely. She turned to look at the young man. "Hokage Sama wishes to see you."

"Right now?" she inquired.

"Yes" he said then left. She looked down at her daughter and sighed.

"Looks like you get to spend the afternoon with Daddy" she said.

After dropping Mikoto off with Sasuke, Ino went to the Hokage tower. Tsunade was seated behind the desk which was, for the first time, clear of papers. Naruto stood behind her looking impatient.

"Ah, it's good to see you, Miss Yamanaka" Tsunade began. "I have a mission for you. B ranked. Naruto, give her the details" she ordered. He stepped up with a huge grin on his face.

"In the past few months shinobi have been disappearing. To date there have been six. Two from Kirigakure, one from Iwagakure, two from Kumogakure and one from Sunagakure. Since these villages are our allies we have agreed to send someone to investigate." He explained.

"Yes, we don't want them thinking that we are the responsible party since none of our shinobi have disappeared" Tsunade chimed in. Naruto's eye twitched.

"Thank you, but I was getting to that" he said, slightly annoyed. "So, as I was saying, we are sending you to the last known location of the most recent missing shinobi."

"That's just outside of Kusagakure" Tsunade finished.

"Thanks for the help, Obaa chan, but I got this" Naruto said angrily. "You're to go to this location," he handed her a scroll, "and investigate the area."

"We don't expect you to run into any enemies-"

"Obaa chan! Stop it!" Naruto shouted. Tsunade was taken aback then glared at the young man. "I'm going to be Hokage so I can handle a simple mission briefing. Stop butting in!" She stared at him for a moment then folded her hands and leaned back in her chair. He took a deep breath to calm down then turned back to Ino who was hiding a chuckle. "Now, investigate the area and return to the village. Should you find anything do not go in alone. Return for backup" he finished.

"All right" Ino said after a moment. "When do I leave?"

"At daybreak."


	3. Not Goodbye

_Yola dudes and dudettes! Time for chapter three to commence. I hope to see some more reviews soon or else I may not be able to continue… AHHHH so please enjoy!_

Sasuke stood in front of the stove, leisurely stirring a pot of soup. Every so often he would glance up at Mikoto who was peacefully drawing on a scroll at the table. He heard the front door open then his son appeared in the doorway.

"Hey buddy, wanna set the table? You're mother will be home soon and we're gonna have dinner" Sasuke asked. Haro patted his sister on the head as he walked around the table to the cupboard. He pulled out four bowls and brought them over to the table.

"I'm home!" Ino called from the front door. She walked into the kitchen as her son was putting down the bowls and some spoons. Miki's eyes lit up when she saw her mother and she jumped up and ran over to give her a hug. Ino scooped the little girl up into her arms. "Aw, I missed you too, baby."

"Time to eat" Sasuke announced. He ladled soup into the bowls as his family took their seats.

"So it seems someone has a little crush on Haro" Ino said with an amused smile. Sasuke smiled at his son with pride.

"That doesn't surprise me, he's an Uchiha, we're notoriously attractive to the opposite sex" he replied with a wink.

"Did Mommy hit you to tell you that she liked you?" Haro asked. The couple smiled at each other as they remembered the scuffle in the greenhouse that led to their first kiss all those years ago.

"Yeah, she did" he answered never taking his eyes off his wife. Their son's eyes darted between them.

"You're being weird again" he complained, causing Ino to smile at him. After dinner the children left while the adults cleaned up.

"I've got a mission" she began as she ran a bowl under the tap. "I'm leaving first thing in the morning.

"How long?" he inquired, drying the bowls as she handed them to him.

"A few days, maybe a week at most" she answered. "It should be a simple recon mission."

"Should be?" Sasuke looked over at his wife.

"Did you hear about those shinobi who've gone missing recently?" she asked. "I'm going scout the most recent abduction site and try to find a trail." He listened intently as she explained then nodded.

"I wanna go with you, Mom!" Haro shouted bursting into the kitchen. Ino looked down at her son in shock.

"Absolutely not" she replied eliciting a frown from the boy.

"Come on, I'm so ready for a mission!" the child cried.

"You're too young," she told him, "and it is way too dangerous for you."

"But you said it was just a recon mission! No bad guys, no danger!" he argued.

"You are not even a Genin yet and if you were there I wouldn't be able to focus on the mission. I would just be worried about you the whole time," she explained seriously. "You are not going. End of story."

Haro glared at his mother then looked to Sasuke. He simply shook his head and the boy stomped his foot and stormed off to his room. Ino threw a pleading look to her husband.

"Were you like this at that age? Because I don't remember being like that" she stated. The raven haired man walked over and wrapped his arms around her. "He's so impatient to get out there and gain experience he's gonna miss his childhood if he doesn't slow down." She snuggled into the embrace and sighed.

"Don't worry honey, he's got an amazing mother and a dad who… well who isn't half bad. So I'm sure he'll be just fine" Sasuke said then gently kissed her. She sighed again then shimmied out of his grip.

"I'm just gonna go talk to him" she said then walked off towards the stairs.

She walked down the hall until she reached her son's door. Reaching up she knocked on the door then pushed it open.

"Haro? Can I come in?" she asked. When there was no reply she walked in anyways.

Haro was sitting cross legged on the bed looking over a scroll of hand signs. She walked over and sat down beside him.

"Studying for a test?" Ino asked, peeking over the boy's shoulder.

"Tests are stupid. I want real experience" Haro said. Ino sighed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Someday you will get real experience. You'll go on missions and be a real shinobi, but for now you're just a kid and you still have a lot to learn at the academy" she explained. Haro just frowned up at his mother.

"But I'm ready to be a real shinobi now, Mom!" he whined.

"Sweetheart, don't be in such a rush to grow up. Enjoy your childhood, you only get one. And one day when you're all grown up you will be the greatest ninja who ever lived, and you'll go on any mission you want to, whenever you want to" she told him with a grin.

"Come one Mom, missions are assigned to you, you don't get to pick them" Haro replied.

"Well your uncle will be the Hokage by then so he'll give you your pick of assignments. Or he'll deal with me" she said eliciting a small smile from the boy. She reached over and tickled him causing him to laugh out loudly and squirm. "See, you're still my baby boy."

"No, I'm not a baby!" he cried between laughs. She pulled back and smiled.

"No, you're not. You're my big strong man" she amended. "Are you still mad at me?"

"A little" he said looking up at her. She pouted down at him and batted her eyelashes causing him to laugh. "No, I'm not mad anymore."

"Good, cause I didn't want to have to beat you" she joked with a laugh as she stood up. "Now I'm going to get some ice cream but since you're all grown up I assume you don't want any." She waved at him over her shoulder as she began walking out the door.

"Wait! I want ice cream too!" he called running over to her side. Ino smiled and grabbed his hand.

"Then let's go."

"The kids are finally asleep" Ino sighed from the doorway of their bedroom. Sasuke smiled at her from the bed and motioned for her to join him. She slid out of her robe and climbed into bed with her husband. He pulled her close and wrapped her in his arms. "I hate to say goodbye to them, I mean Miki is only three but somehow she understands what's going on."

"Don't worry about it, babe. You'll be back in a few days and they'll be just fine" Sasuke said soothingly. She leaned in to him and sighed.

"I know that, I really do, it's just so hard to leave them. What if something happens and I don't come back? What if they have to grow up without a mother?" she asked. He rubbed her arms comfortingly and kissed her head.

"You won't let that happen. You are the strongest woman I know and if anyone or anything tries to keep you from your children then I pity them" he explained. She looked up at him and smiled.

"You always know just what to say" she said. He leaned down and kissed her gently at first then more passionately. After a few moments she pulled away and reached over to turn off the light.

Ino awoke to her alarm early the next morning. Outside the sun had yet to rise but birdsong could be heard. She shut off the alarm and pulled herself away from her husband who was stirring lightly. She climbed out of bed feeling a shiver as the crisp morning air hit her naked body. Quickly pulling on her robe she walked to the bathroom to shower.

When she emerged wrapped in a towel she found Sasuke sitting up in bed watching her. "Go back to sleep" she instructed as she moved to the closet. She pulled out her flak jacket and a black tee shirt and pants.

"Are you sure you don't need backup on this mission? Because I can wake Naruto's ass up and demand he send someone with you" Sasuke explained. A smile crept onto her features.

"And I assume you don't have anyone specific in mind for that job?" she inquired.

"Well I was thinking Choji, but if he's busy I wouldn't mind doing it" he replied with a grin and she laughed.

"I'll be fine" she answered. He grew serious as she began dressing.

"Seriously, are you going to all right out there?" he asked. She frowned at him.

"Weren't you on the other side of this conversation last night?" She sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled on her shoes.

"I don't doubt that you can do this by yourself I just wonder why you have too" Sasuke stated. She climbed onto the bed and crawled towards him. When they were eye to eye she paused. They stared into each other's eyes for a while and the whole world seemed to disappear around them. He brushed her platinum blonde bangs out of her eyes and she smiled. She planted a kiss on his lips that made him dizzy, and then nimbly leapt from the bed.

"I'll be back in a few days. A week tops, I promise" she said with a grin. He watched her walk from the room, her long hair swaying with each step. "Love you!" she called over her shoulder.

In the hallway she turned and walked towards the children's rooms. First she turned right into Mikoto's room. The young girl was sleeping soundly in her canopy bed with a stuffed rabbit hugged tightly to her chest. Ino walked to the side of the bed and bent down to place a soft kiss on her daughter's head. "I love you" she whispered.

She walked across the hall to her son's room. Almost mirroring his sister, Haro slept peacefully in his bed with his arms splayed across the small mattress. She gently tucked his little arms in and kissed him. "I love you" she whispered again then turned and left the room.

After a moment one dark eye opened then the boy sat up in his bed and smiled mischievously.

Konohamaru sat at the guard post eyes drooping as he tried to stay awake. Ino approached and smiled at the younger ninja. She slammed her hands down on the desk startling the man awake and knocking him out of his chair. He quickly righted himself as Ino laughed hysterically.

"Good morning Konohamaru, I see you're taking guard duty very seriously" she greeted. He frowned at her then yawned.

"I hate these late shifts, it's so stupid! I used to be the "honored grandson" of the third Hokage and now I'm just on night guard, watching the gate" he complained, crossing his arms over his chest. Ino chuckled at the young man's annoyance.

"Well I guess you'll have to work your way up to the top just like your grandfather" she explained. He grumbled and asked for her mission paperwork which she pulled from a pouch on her jacket. When everything was sorted her ordered the gate opened. Ino bid him farewell and walked down the road out of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

_And there we have chapter 3. Please do be enjoying this story as it progresses. It will be a good one… I hope.. muwahaha anywho please review!_


	4. Complications

_Welcome back my oh so invisible readers. Please someone talk to me! I get so lonely writing all by my self. Don't wanna be, all by my self... anymore! ENJOY_

Sasuke finally convinced himself to get out of bed and wake the kids. Setting his feet on the ground he shuffled out the door and down the hall. He stopped in front of Haro's room and knocked on the door.

"Hey Buddy, it's time to get up" he said, opening the door. The child was not in his bed so Sasuke walked into the room. He noticed a note left on the desk and walked over to check it out.

"**Dad, I went to get in some early training before school and I'm gonna stay over at Uncle Naruto's tonight. –Haro"**

"Hmm, early training, that's my boy." He set the note back down and went across the hall to wake Mikoto. He opened the door and was immediately hit with the full force of the three year old girl throwing herself into his arms. "Good morning to you too, Miki" he said as she wrapped her little arms around his neck.

"Daddy pancakes!" she chirped.

"You want pancakes? I think we can arrange that" he replied with a smile then he turned and carried her downstairs.

The rest of the day went by without incident and at dinnertime he decided to get take out. So he and Mikoto headed out and began walking down the streets of Konoha. As they were strolling Miki would point out shapes in the clouds, a habit she had picked up from Uncle Shika, and Sasuke would smile.

Along the way they ran into an aging Iruka who was still teaching at the academy.

"Ah, Uchiha, just the man I wanted to see" Sasuke's former sensei began.

"Good evening, Iruka" he replied with a nod.

"I was wondering why Haro wasn't in class today. Is he ill?" Iruka inquired causing the Uchiha to become confused.

"What are you talking about? Haro went to the academy today" Sasuke responded.

"I'm afraid he wasn't" the older man said. "Did Ino drop him off this morning?"

"No, she's not home. He left me a note saying that he went to train before school" he explained. Iruka nodded thoughtfully.

"Well it isn't like him to skip class." With that teacher said goodbye and continued down the road.

"No, it really isn't like him at all" Sasuke thought aloud. "Naruto" he growled. He picked Miki up and hurried forward to the place where he'd find his blonde teammate.

"Hey old man another bowl for the future Hokage!" Naruto shouted sitting in his usual spot at Ichiraku.

"Coming right up!" Ichiraku said cheerily. Naruto spun on his stool and halted when he noticed Sasuke heading towards him.

"Dobe, where's my kid?" the Uchiha demanded. Naruto cocked his head and pointed to the child in his arms.

"Right there, Teme" he replied in utter seriousness. Sasuke's eye twitched and he set his daughter down on the stool in front of him.

"No, the other one" he explained as calmly as he could manage. Naruto shrugged in response.

"How should I know. Where'd you leave him?" he asked. The raven haired man growled and resisted the urge to punch his friend in the face.

"He's staying with you tonight" he replied.

"No he's not, I'm doing Hokage work all night, and I'll tell you Hinata is not happy about it one bit. But man I need a break from her pregnancy craziness" Naruto rambled, failing to notice the irritation on his friend's face.

"Shut up you moron. If Haro hasn't been with you all day where the hell is he?" Sasuke shouted.

"Here's your ramen, sir" Ichiraku said setting the bowl down in front of the blonde man.

"Thanks" he said to Ichiraku. "Man I hope I'm a better dad than you, teme. Can't even keep track of one kid."

Sasuke punched Naruto in the face, knocking the man to the ground, then he picked Mikoto up and left.

"What was that for?!" Naruto shouted as he picked himself up.

Sasuke marched up to his father in law's door and knocked. After a moment the door opened and Inoichi frowned.

"Uchiha" he greeted curtly.

"Is Haro here?" Sasuke asked, getting straight to the point. Inoichi's frown deepened.

"No he isn't. Ino's been gone one day and you already lost one of the children?" The older man asked.

"I haven't lost him, he just… left. Oh my god" the Uchiha said as realization dawned on him. "Hey, can you watch Mikoto for a bit?" He gently pushed the girl towards her grandfather then turned and left in a hurry.

"Grandpa hungry!" she said as Inoichi took her hand.

"Then let's get you something to eat, sweetheart. Come on inside, Grandpa will take care of you" he said caringly. "Unlike that no good father of yours." He whispered that last part under his breath as he closed the door.

Ino ran until the sun began to dip below the horizon then found a place to rest for the night. She quickly built a fire and set up trip wires around her perimeter. Finally she relaxed on a log and took a long drink out of her canteen, sighing contentedly.

Around her the noises of nature took over and she found her mind drifting to home. Sasuke would be getting the kids ready for bed, which was always a fight with Haro. That boy was a little spitfire, never backing down and always challenging everything. She knew that Sasuke would blame her genetics for that but he had a stubborn side too.

She sighed and threw another log on the fire. As she was settling back down she heard the subtle sound of a twig snapping not far from her. She pulled out a kunai and moved cautiously towards the noise. As she was approaching the source of the sound there was another sound, this one unmistakably the sound of someone hitting the tripwire and crashing to the ground. She rushed over and gaped at the source of the commotion.

"H-hey Mom" Haro said nervously waving from where he lay tangled in the tripwire.

"I need to speak with Tsunade Sama immediately!" Sasuke shouted as he charged through the Hokage tower. The older woman stepped out of her office and faced the man.

"What can I help you with, Sasuke?" she asked.

"I need to go after Ino right away" he said. She frowned and ushered him into her office.

"I know you like to get yourself worked up at the thought of Ino being in danger but I assure you she will be quite all right without you" Tsunade stated.

"It's not Ino it's Haro. He snuck out and followed her on her mission. I want to go and retrieve him at once" he explained. Tsunade nodded and reached for a pen and paper.

"Here is what we shall do. I will send word to the leader of Kusagakure informing them of our predicament and asking for assistance in retrieving the boy" she said while writing. "When we receive word I will send you to bring Haro back home."

She called Shizune in and handed her the note. "Send a hawk to Kusagakure at once" she instructed and the younger woman hurried off. "You may go." She waved Sasuke away and returned to her work.

Numerous emotions shot through Ino upon seeing her son out in the middle of nowhere a day's run from the village. She settled on mad and put her hands on her hips.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" she demanded in her angry voice.

"U-uh-" Haro stammered.

"Get up, I'm taking you home" she instructed tossing the kunai and cutting the wire that held him down. He quickly brushed it off and jumped to his feet to follow his mother to the campsite.

"Mom no!" he cried and she wheeled on him with such anger in her face that he took a step back. "I just want to help!"

"I don't care what you want! I told you it is too dangerous for you to be out here!" she shouted.

"I'm sorry but this was something I had to do, Mom. I need the experience that training can't give me" he explained.

"You are too young and too immature to handle a mission now. There is a system in place and it works, Haro. I went through it, your father went through it, and even Tsunade Sama went through it. You can't just skip the boring parts and jump right into being a ninja" she said.

"Well I'm here now and I want to learn from you" he stated, going for the suck up routine. Ino seemed unfazed so he changed tactics. "Besides I thought you were on a time sensitive mission. Bringing me back would put you two days behind schedule." She frowned at him then sighed.

"All right, but you have to do exactly what I say exactly when I say it, and if I even think it's become too dangerous I'm going to forget the whole mission objective and get you to safety. Am I understood?" she asked. He nodded excitedly and hurried out to sit by the fire. She shook her head and watched him silently.

"_This is such a bad idea" _she thought.

Kazuo rubbed his temples soothingly. It was still early but his migraine had already been raging for half an hour. Being in charge of a small yet strong hidden village filled with brave shinobi was a lot of pressure. Often he wondered how much more difficult dealing with a larger village like Konoha or Sunagakure was. Then his headache would increase and he would thank the gods that he had been born the leader of Kusagakure instead.

"Sir, this just arrived from Konoha" his secretary said striding over to the desk with a note. He took it and thanked her then began looking it over. He sighed and glanced at the clock.

"Call in Takeshi's team" he ordered. The woman nodded and hurried out of the office. "It is gonna be a long day" he mumbled under his breath.

Sasuke was lying in bed wide awake as the world became brighter outside the window. He looked down at Mikoto who was curled up beside him, fast asleep. He gently brushed a strand of her dark hair out of her face. She stirred but did not wake and he smiled. He knew that nothing in the world would stop him from doing whatever it took to protect his family.

For over an hour he sat in bed just watching his daughter sleep, feeling comforted by her soft breathing. He glanced at the clock which read 8:30 in bright red. He sighed and began slowly climbing out of bed, trying not to wake to child. As soon as his feet hit the floor Mikoto stirred again and began to whimper. The whimpers gradually turned into sobs and tears rolled down her rosy cheeks.

Sasuke's heart broke at the sight of his daughter crying in her sleep. He carefully lifted her tiny body from the bed and held her tightly. He rubbed her back soothingly and rocked her in an attempt to calm her. A few moments later she opened her bright blue eyes, tears still leaking from them.

"Daddy, where Mama?" she asked sleepily.

"Mama had to go on a mission, baby. She'll be back in a few days" he said serenely.

"Get her, pwease" she requested resting her head on his shoulder and sniffling into his shirt. He was about to respond when there was a knock on the door. She clung tighter to him and he decided to take her downstairs with him.

Sasuke opened the door to see Naruto yawning obnoxiously.

"Good morning, teme" the blonde greeted. Sasuke frowned and gestured to the now fully awake child in his arms.

"Watch your language around my kid" he growled.

"Ah, sorry. Uh Tsunade says that you can leave for Kusagakure when you're ready" Naruto explained.

"Thanks, inform her that I will be departing in an hour" he replied. The blonde nodded and left his friend to get ready.

"Sir, Takeshi and his team are her, as you requested" said the secretary. Behind her stood a tall brown haired man whose sharp features were broken by a scar on his cheek. Takeshi was one of the strongest Jounin in the village. Behind him stood Wakana, Katsutoshi, and Iku, his Genin students.

"Thank you for coming so early" Kazuo began. "I have a high priority mission for your team, Takeshi."

"Yes!" Wakana shouted pumping her fist in the air. She was a thirteen year old of average height who wore her orange hair shoulder length down one side and buzzed on the other. "I hope we get to fight some serious baddies this time!"

Beside her Iku rolled his eyes. He stood taller than both of his teammates but was incredibly lanky. His blue hair was meticulously styled to look as if he'd just rolled out of bed.

"Calm down, Kana. We're still Genin so it's not likely we're going to be fighting 'serious baddies'" he said using air quotes.

"I'm with her," Katsutoshi chimed in. "I hope we get to kick some ass. I have some many awesome battle strategies just waiting to be used." His dark blonde hair was shaggy and unkempt as if he just didn't care enough to fix it.

"Hush, let Kazuo Sama speak" Takeshi ordered and immediately the three Genin snapped to attention.

"We have a situation that must be handled delicately" the older man started. "Earlier this morning we received word from Konoha that they had sent someone to investigate the recent shinobi disappearances, the most recent of which took place not far from out gates. It was soon discovered that her son may have followed her putting both himself as well as the mission in danger.

"I want your team to go out and locate the child then bring him back to the village. It is of the utmost importance that you complete this mission in a timely manner and without any harm coming to the child. Konoha is a powerful ally so we do not want to disappoint them. We need their support. Do you understand and accept the mission parameters?" he asked.

"Hai" the four ninjas replied in unison.

"Good, you leave at once. Report back to me when the boy is safe. Dismissed." He waved his hand and the team walked out of the office to begin their mission.

_Hope you love love loved it! And remember: REVIEW, because One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do! Two can be as bad as one but the lonliest number is the number ONE!_


	5. Disaster

Been too long I say. I shall try harder to keep updating more... please enjoy.

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Sasuke pushed himself harder as he ran through the forest. His paranoia grew with each passing hour. "_What if I don't find them in time? What if it isn't as simple a recon mission as anyone thought? If anything happens to Haro I will never forgive myself, and neither will Ino."_

His legs ached for a break but he denied himself the relief and kept running faster.

"Now listen to me, kiddo, you will stay close to me at all times. Never leave my line of sight and do not wander off. If I tell you to hide you will haul ass and hide. That means masking your chakra and becoming invisible. Am I understood?" Ino said more than asked. Haro rolled his eyes and nodded.

"Yes Mom" he replied. She watched him carefully before continuing down the path. They walked side by side down the wooded trail. Ino kept her senses sharp, reaching out around them with her chakra at regular intervals. Haro sensed her anxiety and worked hard to keep his guard up.

Soon the path opened up on the right to reveal a cliff side overlooking a sizable lake. Up ahead a wide river rushed and bubbled over the ledge pounding the rounded rocks below.

Haro gaped at the view and jumped up onto a rock beside the river to get a better look at the waterfall.

"Be careful!" Ino shouted rushing over the side of the boulder her son stood on. "Get down from there now."

"I'm fine, Mom!" he complained as she pulled him away from the edge.

"I don't wanna have to jump off the cliff to save your when you fall" she said.

"I'm fine" he repeated. She rolled her eyes and looked out across the river. Reaching out with her chakra she scanned the tree line. In one fluid move she leapt deftly across the river and continued searching. Haro watched his mother move cautiously across the river as she examined the area.

Ino stopped a few feet from the river, gathered her chakra and formed some hand seals swiftly. She closed her eye and reached out with her mind. The first thing she heard was Haro's thoughts as he observed her quietly.

"_Wow I've never seen Mom so focused. I knew she was a great shinobi but it is so cool to see her in action."_

Ino smiled without opening her eyes then pushed her mind farther. It was silent in all directions except one. Her eyes snapped open.

"Haro hide. Now" Ino commanded seriously. The boy looked up at his mother then disappeared into the surrounding trees. The blonde stood motionless as minutes ticked by. Suddenly two men appeared a few feet in front of her.

"What have we here?" one of the men asked with a wicked grin.

"Looks like a kunoichi who strayed too far from home" the second answered. Ino studied them both carefully, reading their thoughts silently.

"_Konoha must really be desperate if they let this scrawny little girl be a shinobi. Chances are she's just some weakling with no special power. We'll kill her quickly and move on."_

Ino smirked. They were underestimating her based on her appearance, just like everyone. _"That's a mistake they'll regret" _she thought.

"What're you waiting for?" she called. "Don't tell me you're afraid of a 'scrawny little girl'." She smiled when the man raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"_Heh, she's got some balls, I'll give her that. We'll just distract her long enough for Chika to take her out." _

"_There's three of them, shit" _Ino cursed silently. _"Two I can handle but three will be a little tougher. Especially if he's gonna hide until the last minute." _She sped through some hand seals then sent her chakra out to capture them.

"Shinranshin no jutsu!" she shouted, feeling her chakra take control of their bodies. Both men froze, their eyes going wide. Their shock made Ino laugh out loud. "Not bad for a weakling, ne?" she asked.

Haro watched the interaction with fascination. He'd heard about his family's mind techniques but never seen them used on someone. In an attempt to truly understand it he activated his sharingan and studied his mother's chakra. "Whoa" he mouthed in awe. It was amazing the way her chakra wound around the enemies bodies forcing them to do as she pleased.

"Well, well, well, looks like we've underestimated you, Miss Yamanaka" a third voice said from behind Ino. "But I'm afraid this fight is over."

She turned her head to see that the man was holding Haro. He stood by the edge of the waterfall with his arm around Haro's neck. Horror flashed across Ino's features only to be replaced by rage. "Chika, I presume? Let him go" she commanded in a tone much calmer than she felt.

"You first" Chika countered. Ino glanced back at her captives and grinned.

"Let the kid go, or you're comrades are gonna go for a little swim." She forced the men to step to the cliff side. The man looked mildly amused as he responded.

"I believe you put too much value on their lives" he said. "Go ahead and kill them, it does not matter to me. However I do believe the child's life matter's to you." He squeezed Haro tighter and the boy whimpered. Ino winced at the sound and quickly glanced between the three men. Finally she dropped her hands and the two men she'd been holding shook off the effects of her jutsu.

"Now let him go" she demanded. The man shrugged and tossed Haro over the edge. "No!" Ino screamed then she took off and launched herself over the side after her son.

She propelled herself forward to catch Haro in the air and they plummeted down together.

"Hang on to me, baby" she said to the boy who had his face buried in her chest and his arms wrapped around her in a death grip. She closed her eyes and focused all her chakra inward to form a protective cushion around Haro.

The fall lasted only a few seconds and then they hit the water. The force of the impact tore mother from son and sent them floating off in different directions. Haro opened his eyes under the water and searched for Ino. When he saw her sinking slowly he dove down and pulled her to the surface.

"Mom!" he cried hysterically. There was no reply so he began dragging her over to the shore. He pulled her with all of his strength until she was on the beach. "Mom!" he cried again, this time shaking her shoulders but she remained unconscious. "Please wake up."

"She's still alive, that's impressive" a male voice said from behind Haro. He turned and saw the three men standing on the beach impassively. The boy pulled out a kunai knife and took a defensive stance in front of his mother.

"Stay away!" he shouted. One of the men approached him and Haro swung wildly with the knife. The man sidestepped and backhanded him across the face knocking him to the ground. He rolled and jumped back to his feet then charged at the man. The older man disappeared then kicked Haro from behind, sending him flying.

"The kid's got some moves" said the second man. Panting heavily Haro glared up at his enemy.

"Stop playing with him, Nobu" Chika ordered. "Tomi get the woman." Tomi nodded then walked over to where Ino was lying.

"Stay away from her!" Haro shouted as he climbed to his feet and wobbled a bit. The one called Nobu laughed and kicked Haro again. The boy flew backwards and hit the base of a tree with a loud thud and slumped down, unconscious.

Nobu walked over to where Haro's kunai lay and picked it up. "Should I kill him?" he asked, turning to look at Chika who was watching their third teammate pick Ino up off the ground.

"Don't bother. He'll die out here on his own" Chika replied without so much as a backwards glance. "Let's go." In a flash they disappeared.

"Do you see anything, Sensei?" Iku called from the path. Takeshi stood on the highest branch of the tallest tree searching with his eyes and chakra.

"There is a cliff ahead with a waterfall. It looks like there may have been some kind of scuffle there" he answered then leapt down to the ground. "I can't be sure if it's related to the child until we get closer." The Genin all nodded then the team took off down the path to the cliff side.

The team cautiously approached the river scanning the area for any signs of life. "Spread out, look for any clues" Takeshi ordered without glancing at his students. The three Genin obeyed and move to opposite sides of the area.

Katsutoshi leapt confidently onto the large rock beside the river and scanned the area below. "Sensei!" he called. "Someone's down there!"

In the blink of an eye the Jounin was at his side looking over the edge. "Let's go."

They quickly climbed down the rock face and jumped nimbly to the beach below. They moved toward the unconscious boy leaned against a tree at the edge of the imposing forest.

"Iku," Takeshi says. The young boy nodded and hurried forward to examine Haro. He ran his glowing hands over the child's crumpled frame, searching for internal injuries and broken bones.

"He's OK, just some minor bruising and a cracked rib or two that I just set" Iku explains. Takeshi nods and moves forward to lift the boy.

"Let's get him back to the village. Mission complete."

Sasuke stopped on a branch and leaned against the trunk of the tree. He was trying to catch his breath and surveying his surroundings. He reached into his pouch and pulled out the map.

"OK, only if I keep going straight I will reach the gates in another twenty minutes or so" he said to himself. He rolled the map up and replaced it in the pouch. "Just a couple minutes to rest then I'm gonna get moving again."

He looked up at the slowly darkening sky through the overhanging branches. "Please let him be all right" he prayed silently. He got up and took off again.

A while later he reached the front gate of Kusagakure where he was greeted by Takeshi.

"You must be Sasuke Uchiha. I am Takeshi, my team was assigned to locate your son" he explained.

"Did you find him?" Sasuke asked.

"We did. He is currently at the hospital. I will take you there immediately." Takeshi turned and led the way.

"Thank God" Sasuke thought. He followed the other shinobi to a large building near the center of the village. They went inside and Takeshi checked in with the front desk.

"Sensei!" Katsutoshi shouted, running towards the Jounin.

"Quiet. You are in a place of healing" the man responded. The young boy smiled sheepishly then looked over at Sasuke wide eyed.

"You're the Uchiha" he stated, awestruck. Sasuke grinned at the child. "I heard you were the top of your class in the academy and that you became the most powerful shinobi like ever!"

"Kid, don't bother him about that right now. Just take him to see the boy" Takeshi ordered. Katsutoshi straightened up and bowed.

"Follow me." He turned and walked down the hall. Sasuke followed.

They went up a flight of stairs and turned down a long hallway. About halfway down the boy stopped and knocked on a door then opened it. Inside Wakana sat beside the bed and Iku was fussing over a fruit basket. Both Genin looked over at the door and went wide eyed as their teammate and Sasuke entered the room.

"U-Uchiha" Iku stammered. He bowed respectfully.

Sasuke took only a moment to acknowledge the others before his gaze settled on his sons sleeping form in the bed. His blood ran cold when he was the bruises on the child's face.

"He is all right" Wakana said. Sasuke glanced over at her. "He has a few scrapes and bruises but will make a full recovery in a matter of days." Sasuke nodded stiffly and walked to his son's bedside.

"Perhaps we should give him some time alone…" Iku stated. Wakana nodded and stood up. The three Genin left the room and shut the door behind them.

Sasuke moved closer to the bed and reached out to touch the boy's arm.

"Oh Haro, what did you do to yourself?" He asked then he sat down in the freshly vacated chair and held his son's tiny hand.


	6. Nasty Surprises

New chapter for all to enjoy. Super sorry about the wait soooooo much is going on in my life right now and it is a bit overwhelming. Lucky to have my writing as it is a great escape from the crap I face each day. Wish I could live in this world... which I did not create but do enjoy imagining. So enough with my life story just enjoy this lovely albeit shortish chapter.

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The first thing Ino noticed upon regaining consciousness was that her whole body ached. She felt as though she had fallen off a cliff. It was another moment before she remembered that was exactly what had happened. Her eyes shot open and terror overwhelmed her. Not terror for herself but for her child.

The second thing she noticed was that she was unable to move her arms or legs. She was lying on her back with her outstretched arms secured to the table beneath her. She glanced down at her feet which were also secured to the table.

The final thing she noticed was how weak she felt. She knew she had used a lot of chakra protect Haro when they fell but it should have started to replenish. Instead there was a strange draining sensation that seemed to be keeping her chakra low. She closed her eyes and tried to focus her chakra to her hands but there wasn't enough.

She took a moment to study her surroundings. The room in which she found herself was small and stark with white tiled floors and shiny metallic walls. She could see her reflection all around her like she was in a hall of mirrors. The whole scenario felt like a nightmare she used to have.

"I am glad that you are finally awake, my dear." The voice echoed around the room and Ino searched for the source.

"Show yourself" she demanded. The voice chuckled then a section of the wall hissed and opened. A fairly short, unimpressive looking man entered the room and walked over to where she was strapped down. "Who are you?"

"My name is Dr. Akira Kuramoto, and to answer your next question you are in my lab, however that is all I shall tell you, Miss Yamanaka" he said. Ino glared at him in response. "I know all about your family's jutsu so I will only be giving you information on a need to know basis."

"What do you want from me?" she asked calmly. The doctor smiled pleasantly then turned back to the door and nodded. Slowly Ino felt her strength returning. The door hissed open again and an unidentifiable person with a mask over their face entered with a vicious looking needle.

"For right now all we need is some of your chakra" he began. The masked person walked over to her. "I am very sorry, but this will hurt." He gestured to the man with the mask who inserted the needle into her abdomen.

Immediately the pain was overwhelming and, despite her best efforts, she screamed.

Sakura yawned as she walked down the darkening street towards her house. She rested her hand gently on her growing belly and smiled. She had agreed not to go on any missions while she was pregnant but steadfastly refused to stop working shifts at the hospital, which her husband, Rock Lee, had learned the hard way the first time around.

Sakura grinned at the memory of when she had told her husband that she was pregnant with their first child. He had gone on for half an hour about how youthful pregnancy was and how she had to drop everything to focus on being a mother. With her hyped up hormones and natural pride working together she had told him, in no uncertain terms, how that was not going to happen. After being physically and verbally lectured Lee acquiesced.

She yawned once more as she walked up the steps to her front door. She was not even a little surprised by the sight which greeted her upon entering the house.

Lee, clad in his usual green spandex, was doing pushups with Akemi, their 3 year old daughter, and Mikoto, who they were babysitting for Sasuke, on his back.

"98, 99, 100" he counted as his body moved up and down. The toddlers on his back giggled joyfully. He looked up when his wife entered and stopped at the top of a pushup. "Hello, my youthful love."

Their black haired daughter jumped up on his back, causing him to drop. She leapt off him and ran to her mother.

"Mama!" she cried as she clung to the pink haired woman's leg. Mikoto got up and hurried over to grab her other leg and both girls smiled up at her.

"Have they eaten yet?" Sakura asked as her husband, in one swift move, jumped to his feet. He walked over to her and kissed her.

"Yes" he answered. "They had the curry of youthful life." He bent down and peeled the girls off her legs. They laughed loudly as he twirled around with them in each arm. "We were just doing some pushups before bed."

"That's great, now it's time to get ready for bed" she explained. Lee set the girls down and they turned and ran off to Akemi's bedroom.

Some hours later the girls were fast asleep and Sakura and Lee sat on the couch together to relax.

"How was your day?" he asked while rubbing her feet. She sighed happily and leaned back.

"Exhausting. We had a group come in from a pretty badly failed A rank mission. A couple of them were barely clinging to life when they arrived at the hospital. But we managed to stabilize all of them" she explained.

"I am so amazed by your strength, Sakura" he said. "You must truly be the greatest medic nin to ever live." She smiled at him but before she could respond they were startled by screaming. Both ninja were on their feet and moving towards the source, which was in Akemi's room.

Mikoto was screaming and thrashing about in the bed. She had awakened Akemi who ran to her father's arms as soon as they opened the door. Sakura hurried to the bed and grabbed the hysterical child whose shocking blue eyes shot open and filled with tears.

The pink haired woman checked Mikoto for injuries, as her screams were not just of terror but of immense pain. Finding nothing physically wrong she held the sobbing toddler close.

"Mama" she whimpered. "Want Mama." Sakura stroked her hair and shushed her.

"It's all right. Shh, you're all right. Your mama will be home soon. It's OK" she whispered as she rocked her. She looked helplessly over to her husband who was rocking Akemi. "What do we do?"

Sasuke's head jerked up as he tried to stay awake in the chair beside Haro's hospital bed. He sat up straight and watched his son sleep. His concern had subsided when a nurse had told him it was normal for the boy to still be unconscious after the fight he had been in, but he still wanted to be there when he woke up.

The raven haired man stood and paced around the room a bit before stopping by the window. The moon was a sliver high in the sky as he looked around outside.

There was a groan from behind him and he turned to see Haro struggling to sit up.

"Haro, lay back down. You still need to rest" he said as he moved over to the side of the bed.

"Dad?" Haro said groggily. "Where… where am I?"

"Kusagakure, you're in the hospital" Sasuke stated as he put his hands on the boy's shoulder. "I expect an explanation, young man. Just what do you think you were doing following your mother on her mission? You could have been killed!"

Haro looked down sadly for a moment then suddenly his head shot up. His eyes were wide and he scanned the room.

"Where is she? Where's Mom?" he asked frantically. Sasuke looked at his son in confusion. "Th-those men… where is she? Is she OK? Dad?"

"Slow down, what are you talking about? What men?" The older Uchiha inquired.

"Dad, it's my fault. It's all my fault."

"What happened?"

Kazuo yawned loudly and leaned back in his chair. It was very late yet there was still a mountain of paperwork in front of him. The success of Takeshi's mission was one less thing he had on his plate.

He scratched the back of his head and decided to call it a night. He stacked the papers neatly and stood from his chair. He approached his office door and right as he was about to open it there was a frantic knock from the other side. He let out a sigh and opened the door.

Sasuke stood up straight and bowed respectfully. "Sir, I need to request assistance from you one more time."

"I am always pleased to help my Leaf Village allies. What do you need?" Kazuo asked moving back to his desk and taking his seat. Sasuke followed him over and stood in front of the older man.

"I need you to assign a team to escort my son back to Konoha" Sasuke explained.

"Are you not returning with him?" the older man asked.

"My wife has been taken and I intend to find her" he replied. Kazuo nodded thoughtfully and folded his hands on his desk.

"I will send word to your Hokage at once. You will need backup and I will inform Tsunade my team will be returning with the boy."

Sasuke bowed again, turned, and left the room. Kazuo sighed once more and pulled out a fresh paper.


End file.
